Focusing camera



p 1941- c. w. CRUMRINE 2,256,373

FOCUSING CAMERA Filed Feb. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l zck 1 ,1 4CHESTERWCRUMR/NE INVENTOR BY W.WW

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A TTORNE Y8 Sept. 16, 1941- c.-w. CRUMRINE 2,256,373

FOCUSING CAMERA Filed Feb. 16, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 k Y 22 T w F/a4a0 67155 75/? MCQz/mQ/NE INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 194iFOCUSING CAMERA Chester W. Crumrine, Rochester, N. Y., assignor toEastman Kodak Company,

Rochester, N. 'Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Application February 16, 1940, Serial No.319,304

2 Claims.

This invention relates to cameras, and particularly to cameras in whichthe objective is moved relative to the exposure frame to focus an imagethereon.

One object of my invention is to provide a camera of the type includinga mechanism for focusing an objective with a focus indicating meansmounted on the camera body. Another object of I my invention is toprovide the upper wall of a camera with a focusing scale which will turnas the camera objective is focused to indicate at alltimes the focalsetting of the objective. Still another object of my invention is toprovide a focusing scale which may operate in conjunction with a depthof focus scale both mounted on a top wall of a camera. Another object ofmy invention is to provide a camera of the type having an extensiblefront and including a means for focusing the camera lens withconnections between the focusing objective and camera body to indicateon the camera body the focal setting of the objective, and other objectswill appear from the following specification, the novel features beingparticularly pointed out in the claims at the end thereof. I

Coming now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotelikeparts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a focusing camera equipped with my improvedfocus indicating device.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged section, taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, manyunessentlal parts of the camera being omitted for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary sectional view, parts beingshown in elevation, of the connections between the objective carrier andthe focusing'scale.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a portion of the dialoperating mechanism showing its contact with extensible front members.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section through a portion of a rangefinder housing showing, in elevation, parts of the gearing connectingthe focusing mechanism and extensible front.

Fig. 6 is a greatly enlarged view of a preferred form of focusing dialand depth of focus scale.

In cameras having an extensible front for projecting an objective intoan operative position from which it may be moved by suitable means forfocusing, it is desirable to indicate the focal setting of the objectivein all positions, even though the camera may be equipped with a rangefinder. In order to place the necessary scales for is readily visible, Ihave placed a dial and pointer on the camera body and haveinterconnected it with the camera objective, because this position isthe most desirable for cameras of the type described.

In the drawings, which show a preferred embodiment of my invention, Ihave shown a camera of the type shown in application Serial No. 229,151,Joseph Mihalyi, Roll film camera," filed September 9, 1938. It isobvious that my invention is equally suitable and can be applied toother types of cameras.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the camera may consist of a camera body I,having a top wall 2, on which a housing 3 is placed, this housingenclosing a view finder and range finder, and providing a flat upperwall .or surface 4 which provides a convenient location for a focusingscale 5, which may operate in conjunction with a pointer 6, and, if

desired, which may include also a depth of focus scale 1.

The camera front wall 8 includes a ring 9 which, in turn, encloses athreaded tubular member I0, terminating in a knurled ring H. Inside ofthe tubular member I0 is a second tubular member I2 which supports acamera objective I3 in a suitable I lens cell I4.

indicating the focal setting in a position where it As indicated in Fig.2, the tubular members III and I2 are both threaded, one being threadedin a right-hand direction and the other in a lefthanddirection. Sincethe tubular member I2 may not turn because of the pins I5 passingthrough the slots I6 of the guide brackets II when the knurled ring I iis turned, the objective, designated broadly as 0, will be projected toor from a. picture-taking position, in which the objective is spacedfrom an exposure frame I 9, having guides 20 for supporting a film.

The focusing mechanism for the objective 0 may be the knurled ring I I,which may be turned to focus the objective, or the tubular member ID maybe turned by the knurled knob 2| which is intergeared to the gear teeth22, carried by the back of the ring I0 and which may be intergeared withthe knob 2I in the manner shown in the above-mentioned copendingapplication,

Coming now to my invention, I prefer to form the focusing scale 5 asshown in Figs. 3 and 6. The focusing scale 5 is carried upon a disc 23,which is revolubly mounted on a stud 24, carrying a pinion 25. Thispinion meshes with a gear se ment 26 carried on the upper end of a shaft2 Lwhich is arranged at right angles to the axis of the camera objective0. The lower end of shaft 21, by means of a screw 28, carries a leverarm 29,

gamers having an upstanding lug fit and a downwardly extending pin iii.

The lug to may extend into a slot 82 in the camera wall plate 33 so'asto form a stop limiting the movement of this lever in a counterclockwisedirection with respect to Fig. 5. Movement of the lever in an oppositedirection may be lted by means of a long tooth 53d which will strike thepinion 25 and prevent further movement when the gear and gear segmenthave reached the posi tion shown in Fig. 5. in this position, the stud85 is still in contact with the pin 8i, carried by the lever 29, butfurther movement of the extensible front into the camera body will movethe stud head 35 away from the pin 8i as the tubular members it and i2telescope into the camera body.

I prefer to provide a spring 86 which will tend to turn the gear segment25 and the arm 29 in a clockwise direction.

As indicated in Fig. 4, the stud head as may be fastened in any setposition relative to the tubular member H, by means of the plate 3i andthe screw 38. After adjusting the headed screw as to the properposition, the screw 38 is turned to lock the stud at the desiredsetting.

When the camera front is projected toward a picture-taking position, theparts are so arranged that the stud head 35 will contact with the pin ftof the lever arm 29 at the time the objective reaches the infinityposition and movement of the focusing mechanism through the knurled ringH, or the knob 29 will cause the screw head 35 to swing the shaft 2? andthus turn the plate 23 which carries the focusing scale 5. Thus, thescale 5 is moved as the objective is focused, and by bringing thedesired gradua tion of the scale opposite to the pointer t, the requiredfocal setting can be obtained. It is, of course, possible to provide afixed scale and a movable pointer, and these parts can be readilyreversed, if desired, but I prefer to move the focusing scale because itis asimple matter to combine it with a depth of focus scale ii in thefollowing manner:

In the top wall d, I may mount a piece of transparent material, such asglass or a clear cellulosic sheeting do, and on the under side M of thissheeting, I prefer, to provide the depth wardly projecting pin 38 oflever arm 29. the

ther forward movement of the objective rocks.

the shaft 2? and with it the gear segment 26 and the pinion 25, thusturning the dial 28, carrying the focusing scale. As soon as the desiredfocal distance is brought opposite the pointer 6, the camera will be infocus.

When the camera is to be folded into an inoperative position, after thefirst short movement of the objective back to its infinity Position, thedial plate filwill remain stationary, because the stud head 35 leavesthe pin 3i and does not contact with it through the entire remainingpart of the movement. Thus, the dial plate is only moved through thenecessary range of movement to care for the focusing movement of theobof focus scale 7 in opaque characters. This may be readily done byphotography or the plate may be engraved and filled in with opaquematerial.

With this arrangement, the depth of focus scale,

ture of f/8 is used, everything between approximately 3 feet and 6 feetwill be in focus.

The operation of this device is extremely simple, and it needs noattention from the operator. Assuming the camera is in an inoperative orfor picture-taking by moving the extensible front sections to and i2 outof the'camera body,

either by turning the knurled ring if or the knob 2i. 1 As the objectiveapproaches its infinity folded position, the objective 0 may bepositioned 55 position, the stud head as contacts with the downjective.

What I claim is? 1. In a camera including an exposure frame across whichfilm may lie in position to receive an exposure, the combination with acamera body, of a screw-out extensible front threaded to the camerabody, an objective carried by the screwout front, an abutment carried bythe screwout front, a first shaft pivotally mounted on the camera havingan axis transverse to the axis of the objective, a lever arm carried bythe first shaft and projecting into the path of movement of the abutmenton the screw-out front, a two part focus indicator comprising a scaleand pointer, onepart fixedly attached to the camera, a second shaft forcarrying the other part of the focusing scale, a gear on the shaft, and,a gear segment carried by the first shaft and meshing with the pinion, astop and spring for determining a position of rest for the first shaft,said shaft being movable from the position of rest by the screw-outfront abutment when said front is moved for focusing the objective.

2. In a camera including an exposure frame across which film may lie inposition to receive an exposure, the combination with a camera body, ofa screw-out extensible front threaded to the camera body, an objectivecarried by the screwout front, an abutment carried by the screw-outfront, a first shaft pivotally mounted on the camera having an axistransverse to the axis of the objective, a lever arm carried by thefirst shaft and projecting into the path of movement of the abutment onthe screw-out front,'a two part focus indicator comprising a scale andpointer, a fixedly mounted transparent member bearing a pointer anddepth of focus scale, a focusing scale, a disk carrying the focusingscale directly beneath the transparent window to cooperate with thescale and pointer thereon, a second shaft for carrying the disk, a gearon the second shaft, and a gear segment meshing therewith and carried bythe first shaft, means for normally holding the disk in a position ofrest while the screw-out front is moving the objective toward apicture-taking position, said abutment carried scale movement indicatesthat the objective is in a. picture-taking position.

CHESTER W. CRUMRINE.

